Lonely Planet Hawaii Review: How It Stacks Up Against Fodor's and Frommer's
- Lonely Planet's Hawaii guide (marketed as Experience Hawaii) covers the whole island chain with maps, itineraries, and local picks rather than one deep-dive island.
- It holds up well against Fodor's and Frommer's on practical logistics, but islanders often lean on Andrew Doughty's "Revealed" series for blunter, more current local detail.
- If your trip is Maui-only or Kauai-only, our Maui Lonely Planet review or Kauai Lonely Planet review will serve you better than the statewide edition.
- Pair any guidebook with a current Hawaii travel guide page for updated hours and prices, since print runs age fast.
Introduction to Hawaii as a Travel Destination
Why Visit Hawaii?
Hawaii sits roughly 2,400 miles from the US mainland, a volcanic archipelago strung across the central Pacific. The state includes six islands most visitors consider: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, plus quieter Lanai and Molokai. Each island has its own personality — Oahu is urban and dense, Kauai is wild and green, the Big Island is still growing from lava. That range is exactly why a guidebook covering all of Hawaii, like Lonely Planet's, has to work harder than a single-city guide.
Trade winds keep the climate mild most of the year, with a wetter season roughly November through March and a drier stretch from April to October. Neither is a bad time to go, honestly — rain tends to fall in short bursts, especially on windward coasts. Hawaiian culture threads through every island: hula, outrigger canoe traditions, a strong pidgin dialect, and a deep relationship with the land known as aloha ʻāina. A good guidebook explains this instead of just listing beaches.
Accessing Lonely Planet's Hawaii Guide
Where to Find the Guidebook
Lonely Planet publishes the statewide title as Experience Hawaii, and it's produced by Lonely Planet, the Australian-born publisher that's been putting out travel guides since the 1970s. Authors Meghan Miner Murray, Jackie Oshiro, and Sarah Sekula have contributed to recent Hawaii content, bringing on-the-ground reporting rather than desk research. Amazon.com stocks both the print edition and a Kindle version, and most major bookstores carry it too. Print remains the more useful format here — flipping through a paper map on a rental car dashboard beats scrolling a phone with spotty coverage on the Hāna coast.
How to Purchase or Download
Buying is simple: search the title on Amazon.com, a local bookstore, or Lonely Planet's own site, and choose print or ebook. The digital version downloads instantly, which suits last-minute planners. Print takes a few days to arrive but survives a beach bag and a rental car glovebox better than a tablet does. Either way, treat the guide as a starting point — call ahead for anything time-sensitive, since restaurant hours and trail closures shift constantly in Hawaii.
| Guidebook | Strength | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lonely Planet (Experience Hawaii) | Broad statewide coverage, practical logistics, decent maps | First-time multi-island trips |
| Fodor's Hawaii | Curated "best of" picks, polished writing | Travelers who want fewer, vetted choices |
| Frommer's Hawaii | Value-focused advice, straightforward ratings | Budget-conscious planners |
| DK Eyewitness Hawaii | Heavy visuals, cutaway maps, family-friendly layout | Visual learners and families |
| Andrew Doughty's "Revealed" series | Blunt local opinions, mile-marker detail, frequent updates | Repeat visitors and single-island deep dives |
Exploring Hawaii's Attractions
Must-See Attractions in Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects Kīlauea on the Big Island, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Haleakalā rises 10,023 feet above Maui and draws sunrise crowds that now need a reservation. Oahu's Diamond Head, Waikīkī, and Pearl Harbor round out the classic first-timer list, while Kauai's Nā Pali Coast is best seen by boat or on foot via the Kalalau Trail. Lonely Planet's maps help orient newcomers across these very different landscapes, though a phone with offline maps downloaded is still worth carrying as backup.
Local Experts' Recommendations
- Ask locally about beach conditions before swimming — currents change fast and lifeguard coverage is spotty outside resort areas.
- Shave ice, poke, and plate lunch are everyday food, not tourist gimmicks. Try the ones locals actually queue for.
- Respect kapu (restricted) signs and sacred sites. A guidebook can flag them, but the judgment call is yours.
Local experts tend to steer visitors away from the most Instagrammed spots toward quieter alternatives — a lesser beach down the road, a smaller waterfall hike. Lonely Planet includes some of this, though the "Revealed" series digs deeper into hyper-local tips since its author actually lives in the islands.
Planning Your Hawaiian Adventure
Suggested Travel Itineraries
A one-island, one-week trip is the easiest to plan and often the most relaxing. A two-island, ten-day trip works for travelers wanting contrast — say, Oahu's energy paired with Kauai's calm. Trying to hit four islands in a week usually backfires; inter-island flights add up in cost and time, and you end up seeing airports more than beaches. A little upfront planning breaks this down further and saves a lot of backtracking.
Using Lonely Planet for Detailed Planning
Lonely Planet's real value is in cross-referencing: a chapter on Oahu links you toward a related Maui section, itinerary suggestions bundle nearby sights together, and sidebars flag festivals or seasonal closures. Compared with Fodor's tighter curation or Frommer's value focus, Lonely Planet reads a bit more like a reference book than a shortlist — good if you want options, less ideal if you want someone to just tell you the three best beaches. For island-specific planning, check our Maui guidebook and Oahu travel guide book pages.
Insights from the Authors
Meet the Authors
Meghan Miner Murray reports from the Big Island and brings agriculture and ocean-conservation angles to her writing. Jackie Oshiro covers Oahu culture and food with a local's ear for what's actually good versus what's just popular online. Sarah Sekula contributes broader travel-writing experience across multiple islands. Three different voices covering one big, uneven state is a sensible structure — nobody can be the expert on all of Hawaii alone, and Lonely Planet doesn't pretend otherwise.
FAQ
Is $1000 enough for a week in Hawaii?
It's tight but doable for one person if you skip resorts, cook some meals, and choose a condo or budget hotel over a beachfront tower. Add another few hundred if you're renting a car and doing paid tours, which most people end up wanting.
What is the controversy with The Lonely Planet?
Lonely Planet has faced criticism over the years for uneven fact-checking on some destinations and for changes in ownership that longtime readers felt diluted its independent, backpacker-founded voice. It's still a respected name, just not flawless.
What I wish I knew before going to Hawaii?
That distances on a map look shorter than they feel — Maui's Road to Hana takes hours, not a quick afternoon loop. Also that reservations now matter for things that used to be walk-up, like Haleakalā sunrise.
What month is the best month to go to Hawaii?
April, May, September, and October tend to offer good weather with lighter crowds and pricing than peak winter or summer. Whale season (roughly December to April) is its own draw if you're flexible.
For more coverage of individual islands and other guidebook lines, see the Hawaii guidebook reviews hub, our Rick Steves Hawaii review, and the Lonely Planet Hawaii for Maui breakdown. You can also browse official trip-planning resources at gohawaii.com or check Lonely Planet's own catalog at lonelyplanet.com.